Lime is teaching people how to safely ride e-scooters, e-bikes ahead of SXSW

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the city of Austin gets ready to host hundreds of thousands of people for South by Southwest and other spring time events, e-scooter company Lime is helping get micro-mobility users ready for the packed streets.

Lime and the Downtown Austin Alliance partnered to launch a free training and safety campaign at Republic Park the first week of each month. The first installation of the First Ride Academy (FRA) program was on Saturday at Republic Park.

Lime’s First Ride Academy at Republic Square in downtown Austin on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (KXAN Photo/Abigail Jones)

“It’s an opportunity for our Austin and local community citizens to come out, get free accessible training and hands-on scooter and e-bike glider training,” said Eli Davis, Lime’s Austin-area operations manager.

Davis helped run through some demos of Lime’s new e-bike called the Glider. He said Austin will get an additional 1,000 Gliders in its fleet for South by Southwest, so it was important to help folks get familiar with the new models before taking to Austin’s busy downtown streets for the festival.

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“Austin’s a huge festival market and the season is upon us, and so it’s imperative and fundamental here at Lime that we make sure that our riders feel empowered and safe and confident to ride on the streets,” Davis said.

During each session of the FRA program, Lime staff members will be on site to provide hands-on instruction focused on e-scooter and Glider handling, safe riding techniques, local regulations, and best practices for navigating city streets, according to the company.

“We take each rider through the FRA Academy, it’s easy,” Davis said. “And that’s what it should be. It’s simple, but at the same time, comprehensive in that, post the training, every rider should feel confident to be able to take the streets.”

Davis and other Lime staff members walked participants through the essentials of using the e-bikes. Those steps included:

Ensuring that the glider/scooter is in working order by checking the brakes, handles, etc.

Getting the rider comfortable with the glider/scooter

Giving the rider a road tutorial and quick rundown of the rules of riding

“Think of it as a 15 minute crash course on how to ride in scooter safety,” Davis said. He added that the Lime app also walks riders through those essentials.

Lime’s First Ride Academy at Republic Square in downtown Austin on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (KXAN Photo/Abigail Jones)

Davis said the timing of the partnership and monthly courses kicking off right before South by Southwest was ideal timing, not only because there will be an uptick in users during the busy festival season, but also because ridership has been on the rise across the city as a whole.

“Last year alone, we had a 20% year over year increase. This year, we expect even more riders,” Davis said. “And making sure that when people and Austinites hit the streets, even if they’re not from Austin, they’re feeling confident. So yes, it was very much on our minds to make sure that we pushed this through before festival season really swung in. And I think how perfect that it happens right before the week before South by Southwest.”

Davis said Lime works with Austin Transportation and Public Works often to keep up with transportation and mobility updates and make sure Lime’s operations are safe.

According to a press release from Lime, the FRA program is part of a broader citywide safety campaign that includes plans for Lime to expand its outreach in Austin through the First Ride Academies, safety-focused billboards, free helmet distribution and community engagement.

The FRA courses will happen monthly, but Davis said if someone isn’t able to complete the quick training before hopping on an e-scooter or Glider, the Lime app will help them learn the essentials.

Davis also shared his top three safety tips for riding any Lime vehicle:

Know how to brake (all of Lime’s vehicles have dual brakes)

Ease onto the throttle to get used to it before accelarating quickly

Get familiar with the kickstands: Lime has a safety feature built into all vehicles where if a kickstand is down and engaged, the vehicle will not move

People interested in getting hands-on learning can register for one of the FRA courses ahead of time, but Davis said folks can also just walk up to Lime’s tent when it’s running one of the courses to get started.

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